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maylar said:
Yes.
maylar said:
Yes.
The 961 is a Commando only in name and has nothing to do with the Norton's from the UK from the period.
What is a Norton Commando ?
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Yes.
Yes.
The 961 is a Commando only in name and has nothing to do with the Norton's from the UK from the period.
Hortons Norton
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I think some of you just need to get LAID!!!!!!!! :lol:
I would very much like to own one. Last year I went to the annual Motorcycle show at the Tradex building here in Abbotsford. After wandering around for two hours looking at new plastic fantastics I had not seen a single bike that appealed.
Then I saw a 961 Norton, what a great looking machine!
Glen
Then I saw a 961 Norton, what a great looking machine!
Glen
I would be surprised if any of it was. Depending on the age I would guess your bike was either made in Plumstead, Wolverhampton or Andover, others on here will know far more than me but I am sure Bracebridge street was vacated by the time the Commando was launched and Norton were part of AMC.
I don't subscribe to that view by the way but to me it illustrates how anal people can get about what's genuine and what isn't in the old bike and car world. A good point you make though - how is a 961any less of a commando than a CNW one that's got different carbs, different shocks, different forks, aftemarket head, pistons, valves, wheels bodywork etc etc.
OK, for the real anoraks here, how much of a Bracebridge St Norton was made in Bracebridge St then ? Nortons didn't have an aluminium smelter/furnace, so none of the aluminium was. Nortons didn't have a steel furnace, so none of the steel was. Nortons didn't have any rubber trees, so none of the rubber was. The carbs were by Amal, the instruments by Smiths, the electrics by Lucas. What is left ?? The seats more than likely came from outside, so did the guards, primary cover and tanks. The levers were by Doherty. The toolkit probably came from Shelley (?) )a once part owner of Nortons, it must be said). The manuals came from a printing firm, whose name is on the back of some of them.
So what is left ???
The name. The name came from Bracebridge St. NORTON.
Anyone wanna buy a Name..... ??
Try that exercise for practically any machine today, and the results may come out similar.....
P.S. The frame. Left out the frame. Came from Reynolds, of course, for featherbed models.
Other frames may have been inhouse. As were all the nuts and bolts done inhouse, for ALL Norton models (??).
So what is left ???
The name. The name came from Bracebridge St. NORTON.
Anyone wanna buy a Name..... ??
Try that exercise for practically any machine today, and the results may come out similar.....
P.S. The frame. Left out the frame. Came from Reynolds, of course, for featherbed models.
Other frames may have been inhouse. As were all the nuts and bolts done inhouse, for ALL Norton models (??).
P.S. For the real real anoraks here, anyone who has studied the Norton factory layout will know that the Race Shop was in Bracebridge St, as was the Admin building. But all the production bikes came out of Aston Brook St, the other end of the factory - so very few bikes nor any part of them pre 1963 came out of Bracebridge St anyway.
I`d like to rescue the Commando mills from those hideous choppers, whoever did that ought to be compelled to build [& ride]
a chop powered by this mill... http://www.4x4tuff.com/ctsme8.html
a chop powered by this mill... http://www.4x4tuff.com/ctsme8.html
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TokerNeckerly ( thats Geman 
) Unit = ' Unitary ' & motor box , in unit . ( powerplant / Transmision) .
In a bad case like a Duke or Mini , the hardened filings from the transmision , are shared by the big ends .
Like " Transaxle " = transmission & final drive unit / differetial ( not necesarily AXLES ) as a common unit .
However , our ' UNCOMMON ' Non - unitary , powerplants & transmisions , are know by the Missnomer ' Pre Unit ' .
as snotty brats consider Two must come before One .
Er ;
) Unit = ' Unitary ' & motor box , in unit . ( powerplant / Transmision) .In a bad case like a Duke or Mini , the hardened filings from the transmision , are shared by the big ends .
Like " Transaxle " = transmission & final drive unit / differetial ( not necesarily AXLES ) as a common unit .
However , our ' UNCOMMON ' Non - unitary , powerplants & transmisions , are know by the Missnomer ' Pre Unit ' .
as snotty brats consider Two must come before One .
Er ;
Snorton74 said:
Snorton74 said:
I didn't mention or quibble over the pre-unit bit - its just a descriptive term, afterall.
Pre-unit (or non-unitary construction) just means its has a separate gearbox and engine - compared to some designs where the engine and gearbox are built as one unit.
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Besides , it SOUNDS better . And UNIT , mispronounced , could lead to bothers . :| Generally Units were thought to have harsher vibration , something Ive yet to see disproved . The uncramped construction also tends to be roomier , for those of us not stuck at the traffic lights stage .And better weight distribution for
exiting said situation . :mrgreen:
exiting said situation . :mrgreen:
Is the new 961 a unit construction, or semi-unit construction design ?
Otherwise, Nortons have only had unit construction lightweight twins - navigators and the like. And the unit-construction 650, that was not proceeded with. Everthing else Norton has had a separate gearbox.
Its BSAs and Triumphs that have been classified into preunit and unit construction models.
Triumph had a unit construction little bike circa 1913, so its not exactly anything recent. Or necessarily advantageous.
Otherwise, Nortons have only had unit construction lightweight twins - navigators and the like. And the unit-construction 650, that was not proceeded with. Everthing else Norton has had a separate gearbox.
Its BSAs and Triumphs that have been classified into preunit and unit construction models.
Triumph had a unit construction little bike circa 1913, so its not exactly anything recent. Or necessarily advantageous.
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